


Week 1: Blue/Calm

by DramioneLDWS



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:55:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 13,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29123787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramioneLDWS/pseuds/DramioneLDWS
Summary: Each chapter is an individual drabble written by a single participant.IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to the potential for heavy themes/triggering content, please pay attention to every individual drabble's trigger warnings. If you feel uncomfortable reading an entry, please notify an admin. If you are not comfortable notifying an admin, you are not obligated to read triggering content.Please mind the tags/triggers at the top of each entry.
Relationships: Theodore Nott/Harry Potter
Comments: 497
Kudos: 70
Collections: Last Drabble Writer Standing - Round 3: Rare Pairs





	1. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Always  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 398  
> Warnings: Major Character Death
> 
> AUTHOR: [phoenixofslyterhin]()

The most striking thing about Theodore Nott was his beautiful, cerulean blue eyes. Wherever Harry went, and whatever craziness overtook his life, one glance into those hypnotic blue orbs calmed him. Theo’s embrace was Harry's shelter from the constant storms of his life. 

Consequently, Theo’s death during the Battle of Hogwarts was threatening to obliterate Harry. Battle swirled, spells flashed, and screams and smoke filled the dark night, but Harry saw and heard nothing as time froze and Theo fell. 

Harry’s sanctuary was gone, and his insides turned to stone. There was nothing left to fight for. If Harry couldn’t live with Theo beside him, then he wouldn’t live at all. Voldemort issued his ultimatum, and Harry readily accepted. 

Harry’s tears came, and his heart shattered as he stared at Theo’s lifeless body. Theo’s eyes were open, Harry crouched beside him, and the battle sounds ceased. One hour, Voldemort promised, starting now.

Harry stroked Theo’s face, held his hand, and felt the calm peace he associated with the love of his life running through him once more. “This is all for you now,” he whispered, tenderly kissing Theo’s lips. Harry closed Theo’s newly sightless eyes, pausing for a moment to etch their brilliant blue into his memory forever. “We’ll be together again soon.”

Harry strode through the eerily quiet night to meet his nemesis. Voldemort was waiting. Harry merely laughed as he fell, so desperate was he to see his beloved again. 

Theo was waiting, standing next to Dumbledore in a blindingly white room. Theo held him close. Harry felt Theo’s all encompassing calm and knew beyond doubt that nothing in life or death would ever part them again. 

The Resurrection stone glowed cerulean blue in Harry’s hand, and he suddenly understood the significance. “You're coming back with me.”

Theo grinned. “Good. When you’ve done what’s necessary, we’ll have eternity together.”

“Go.” Dumbledore gave them his blessing, and Harry nodded. 

“You’ll wait for me while I do it?” Harry asked.

Theo nodded. “I’ll wait for you. Always.” 

Harry knew he couldn’t fail. One shouted spell, and Voldemort crumbled to ash. Harry saw only blue as the world around him erupted in delight. He looked into Theo’s eyes, and their surroundings fell away. Harry was calm. He’d vanquished Voldemort, fulfilled the prophecy, and finally, after a lifetime of storms, he’d found peace. He was at long last, truly, home.


	2. Artistic Liberties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Artistic Liberties  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 397  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [LuxLouise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxLouise/pseuds/LuxLouise)

“Theo, I’m not sure this is what Potter meant when he said a muggle suit for the wedding,” Draco said, his tone unsure.

Theo looked at himself in the mirror and smirked. “I got this in a muggle shop, I’ll have you know.”

“I’ve been in those shops with Hermione mate, and most of the tuxedos don’t look like that,” Draco stated, looked down at his nice, normal black suit.

“We both agreed that we would wear muggle suits for the ceremony and I told Harry I didn’t need help picking one out. Your beautiful bride has taken me out into the muggle world enough that I know my way around and the man in the shop assured me this would be great.”

He continued adjusting the tie and straightening his silver cufflinks that Harry had proposed to him with. They were a mixture of both of their houses and Theo loved them almost as much as he loved his soon to be husband.

Draco still looked sceptical. “Alright, if you think you’re right. We need to head down, the ceremony is starting.”

As Theo and Draco made their way down the stairs of the newly remodelled and curse-free Nott Manor, Theo thought back on his relationship with Harry Potter. They had become friends when they had both returned for their make-up seventh year at Hogwarts and that quickly turned into stolen snogs in broom closets, late-nights sneaking into one another’s rooms, and confessing their love for each other in the Astronomy tower the night before leaving. He was the love of Theo’s life and this wedding would make it official, regardless of what he was wearing.

The doors opened onto the veranda and Draco walked out first. Theo caught Granger’s eye and her mouth dropped open before she turned around quickly, whispering in Harry’s ear. Theo started down the aisle, their friends and family surrounding them, but he only had eyes for Harry. The moment the green-eyed love of his life turned around, he burst out laughing. As Theo reached him, pulling him in for a quick kiss, Harry whispered in his ear.

“Powder blue with ruffles? Where on earth did you find this?” His voice was filled with happiness.

“Some muggle shop, you didn’t specify what type of suit it needed to be, so I took artistic liberties.”

“This is why I love you, Theo.”


	3. Behind Blue Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Behind Blue Eyes  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 398  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Seakays](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seakays/pseuds/Seakays)

They met again at Auror training. The green eyed one desperate to prove to the world that their faith in him was not misplaced. That the heroics of the child could still exist in the adult. The blue eyed one determined to wash off the stench of his heritage. That the failings of the father could be erased by the actions of the son.

They started as avowed enemies, swift to hex, and hurt. Two weeks of detention and that hatred became dulled by respect, and a bracing _awareness_ of each other. Training was intense, so feelings were tampered, attraction reserved, and temptation suppressed. Graduation however, meant Firewhiskey and freedom, and a frantic coupling in the alley outside a Muggle club Weasley had dragged them to.

The next two years were spent on opposite shifts, but in the in-between times they grew together, sharing their goals, fears, hopes and desires. 

Harry continued to struggle with the Wizarding World’s all-consuming interest in his life, and the expectation that surrounded it. Theo grappled with the fact that _no one_ seemed interested in his whatsoever, leaving him haunted by the looming ghost of his father’s condemnation. 

So, Harry took Ginny to the Remembrance Gala, leaving Theo to spend the night desperately trying to shove his tongue down the throat of Cho Chang, stroking hair that was at once the same black yet completely different.

Then Theo met to broker a marriage contract with Astoria Greengrass, leaving Harry to try and finish Ginny Weasley in the bathroom, staring into eyes that were gorgeous and brown, instead of hooded and blue. 

Theo married Astoria in a lavish affair on his father’s private island. Harry Potter was not in attendance, nor was he present at their daughter’s naming ceremony ten months later.

Within a year of Theo’s wedding, Harry resigned his post, left Ginny in tears and confusion, and fled to his first home, begging for sanctuary. For the next decade he quietly taught at Hogwarts, out of the public eye and content.

In September 2015, Harry met the first years from Hagrid’s boats. He spoke the same words that McGonagall had spoken long ago and was surprised when a tall girl approached to introduce herself. Looking long and hard into her bright blue eyes, Harry finally spoke.

“You must be Talia Nott.”

At the girl’s surprise, Harry continued.

“You have your father’s eyes.”


	4. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Benign Words  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 397  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [WhatSoMalfoy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatSoMalfoy/pseuds/WhatSoMalfoy)

The sky was always at its most brilliant shade of blue right when Harry needed it to be. When his thoughts took one dark turn after the next, stuck on a loop like a skipping record, Harry took to the grounds of Hogwarts and watched the sky. He liked to imagine that when his thoughts turned to dark blue, the sky retaliated, reminding him that while things might look grim, hope was always on the horizon. Harry could feel it deep within that things were starting to get serious now. Later this evening, he’d be leaving the castle with the headmaster with the hope of locating another Horcrux. His life would be on the line tonight, but he trusted Dumbledore with it. He was, after all, the greatest wizard alive.

Harry’s thoughts _should_ have been on his mission, he _should_ have been preparing. He _should_ be doing anything other than obsessing over the last throwaway comment from Theodore Nott. Unfortunately for Harry, matters of the heart often took precedence over matters of the necessary. Harry could have sworn he’d seen the Slytherin’s eyes dancing as he told Harry he’d “see him later”. Words so benign had never set Harry’s heart to racing before, nor his hands to shaking. So he found himself cushioned by the grass, staring up at the calming blue sky and watching the clouds drift on a mission of their own.

A shadow loomed over him, and his heart raced, but not in a way that had him reaching for his wand. It raced in the way it did when he smelled that _particular_ scent. His pulse quickened, his throat clogged, and his palms grew clammy. Theo greeted him and pulled up a grassy patch beside him. Harry rubbed his hands on the ground as discretely as possible.

Harry didn’t say anything— didn’t know what to say. Thankfully, Theo took on the role of conversationalist, and Harry’s words were rendered useless. He listened to Theo prattle and imagined his hand creeping closer. Maybe he could just brush his hand against Theo’s— just a brush, see what happens. He pulled at some grass, letting his hand land a little closer. Theo stopped talking. Harry swallowed past the blood rushing in his ears, counting silently to ten. On four he snapped his head to left. Theo’s fingers were tangled in his, and his smile was breathtaking.


	5. Blue and Bronze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Blue and Bronze  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [iwasbotwp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwasbotwp/pseuds/iwasbotwp)

"Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat bellowed. The crest on Hermione's robes changed, and her red and gold tie morphed to blue and bronze.

It wasn’t a shock to see her resorted there, but that didn't stop a lead weight from settling in Harry's stomach.

The stomping feet and cheering among the Ravenclaws as she made her way to their table nearly drowned out Ron voicing what Harry already knew. "That's it then, mate. No way we'll all be together."

 _Eighth Years_ , that's what those in Harry's class who'd returned to Hogwarts were being called. And along with the 6th and 7th years, they were all being resorted.

A few more students came and went, then McGonagall paused, lips thinning before she said sharply, "Draco Malfoy."

The hat laughed, "Ravenclaw," from atop Malfoy.

There was dead silence until Hermione stood and clapped, a fiercely defiant look on her face.

Behind Harry, someone snorted. He turned to see Theodore Nott. Narrowing his eyes, Harry challenged him. “Thought Malfoy was your friend?”

The other boy shrugged. He glanced towards Hermione and smirked. "I was actually thinking how you can take the lion out of Gryffindor—"

"What would a snake like you know?"

Nott tsked. "You shouldn’t make assumptions before everyone’s resorted, Potter."

Unsettled, he didn't answer, instead turning around to pay attention again. But he remained hyper-aware of Nott’s presence behind him.

When McGonagall called Nott’s name, Harry felt sure he purposefully brushed against him on his way past.

The thought traitorously stole into Harry’s mind that Nott’s eyes nearly matched the blue in his new tie when he also landed in Ravenclaw. Nott strode right to Hermione, confidently squeezing in next to her. Over her shoulder, he winked at Harry when she shook his hand.

Jumbled emotions coursed through Harry, continuing even as his turn came under the hat.

_Ahhh, Harry Potter. Your name's been in quite a few people's minds today. But what's in yours?_

Nothing. Too much.

_Had enough of being the hero?_

He looked around, calculating where he belonged.

_Hmmm… No less difficult than last time._

Neville sat at the Gryffindor table, already resorted. Ron would probably join him.

Hufflepuffs stared at him hopefully, silently offering their loyalty.

Harry's gaze slid to Nott, who raised a brow at him. Nott… intrigued him. He stirred a fresh desire within Harry to prove himself.

_Seems this time it had better be—_

“Slytherin!”


	6. Blue Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Blue Ice  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 391  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [DramioneDreaming]()

“Potter, what in Merlin's name is that supposed to be?” Theo sneered.

“It’s a drink, Theo.” Harry sighed in exasperation. “Given that it’s in a cup and there’s a straw in it, what else did you think it might be?”

“But it’s blue.”

“Well spotted.”

“It’s luminous blue ice in a plastic cup.”

“It’s called a Slushie. It’s like this blue syrup stuff mixed with crushed ice. You’ll like it.”

“Honestly, Potter, it’s like you don’t even know me at all. What part of that sentence was supposed to appeal to me?”

“Fair point. If I told you it was raspberry flavoured would that sell it to you?”

“If it’s raspberry flavour then why is it blue? Unless muggles have some secret blue raspberries like those orange potatoes you tried to poison me with last week.”

“For the last time, Theo, they are called sweet potatoes and they are a perfectly normal food and would not have poisoned you. Honestly, you purebloods are so sheltered.” Harry grumbled, fighting not to roll his eyes.

“So I suppose blue raspberries are totally natural too are they?”

“Well no, actually.” Harry conceded. “I have no idea why they decided that raspberry flavour stuff should be blue. I’ve never really thought about it before. But regardless, it’s an accepted part of the cinema experience and we are getting one.”

“Fine.” Theo grumbled. “But if I miss half of this supposedly amazing moving picture thing because I am vomiting up blue in the loos then I get to pick what we do next weekend."

“Deal." Harry shoved the offending drink into Theo's hand before he could change his mind.

"And I'm telling you now, it won't involve me having to wear jeans again. Muggle fashion is horrifically uncomfortable, no matter how good it makes my arse look.”

"Noted. Now please don’t be this dramatic about the pick’n’mix or we will miss the start of the film.”

“If you are referring to those buckets of sweets over there that people are scooping out without any supervision or clear hygiene practices, then I think you had better change the tickets for a later showing.”

Harry took a deep breath, praying for calm, before making his way across the cinema foyer, unsure whether to laugh at his boyfriends antics or throw the blue drink in his annoyingly handsome face.


	7. Bluebird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bluebird  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 397  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Caitlincheri28](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitlincheri28/pseuds/Caitlincheri28)

Harry Potter was drowning. 

It wasn’t a new sensation. 

Sometimes the murky water would start leaking through the walls of his mind slowly, giving him time to prepare for the impending rise, giving him time to find a way to try and stop the leak. 

Other times, the water came crashing through like a massive tsunami wave, breaking his walls and leaving him clawing and grasping at anything to pull him out of the sea of despair that overtook him. 

Today was a tsunami day. His anxiety had been particularly bad lately as the ten year anniversary of the war inched closer. As he poured his morning coffee, an overwhelming wave of darkness cascaded around him, giving him no time to patch the holes that continued appearing in his walls. 

Managing to push open the kitchen door, Harry made his way to his favorite bench in the corner of his garden. The blast of cool wind caressing his face combined with the clear blue sky grounded him slightly. He felt the hot prickle of tears in the corner of his eyes as he tried to breathe through the boulder that claimed its familiar spot in the pit of his stomach. 

He thought of the grounding techniques his mind healer had taught him.

What are three things he could see?

_His cornflowers in bloom_

_The soft blades of grass beneath his feet_

_A curious bluebird perched on a nearby tree_

Harry stared up at the little bird who cocked its head slightly, staring back. A feeling of calm washed over Harry as he took a deep breath and smiled, “You know, you could just come through the door like a normal person, Theo.” 

The little bird shook out its feathers. As it began to leave its perch, it shifted into the form of Harry’s beloved husband. Taking a seat next to Harry and pulling him into his chest, Theo whispered “I wasn’t sure if you wanted company this time, but I wanted you to know that I’m here.” 

Harry was a tiny lost sailboat in the middle of an ocean, trying to navigate through an epic storm. 

But through it all, Theo was his anchor. His lighthouse. His safe and secure island. The one person who could calm the storm by simply being _here_. 

As he rested his head on Theo’s chest, Harry felt the dark waters receding.


	8. Bygones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bygones  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 398  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [anne_ammons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anne_ammons/pseuds/anne_ammons)

“What a gorgeous child.” 

He stopped in the middle of Diagon Alley and peered down at the sleeping baby who sported an unmistakable shock of black hair.

He’d been inside Mulpepper’s Apothecary sorting through the billywig stings when a flash of red in the alley drew his eye. He darted outside, leaving the jar open on the counter, wanting to see for himself the spawn of the Chosen One. He knew it was coming — the entire Wizarding world had fêted the arrival of this babe, a sure sign that fairy tales came true, after all. 

Well, at least for some they did.

“Thank you, Nott.” The child’s mother, Ginevra Potter, smiled proudly, but her smile was tight and he knew there was much more to her response than either of them would acknowledge. 

Her eyes said more, though. They were eyes that both knew his secrets and held them as her own. 

He was used to cool greetings. His last name spoke to parentage that was less than desirable, even though his own actions had been above reproach. Still, he found himself on the receiving end of behavior that spoke far more to the manners of others than his own. 

This, however, was not a simple case of prejudice. The child in front of him spoke to that.

After all, that had been what came between them in the end — the only thing Theo couldn’t give Harry, no matter how much he wanted; and no option seemed to be enough, save the one.

Family was everything to Harry, after all. Theo could see him chasing after the illusion of what he thought his parents had with every step that moved him further away from what they had. From what they were to each other.

Ginevra started to walk off, but he placed a hand on the basket and stopped her, not yet done examining the reason for his undoing.

His breath caught as the sleeping infant woke and peered up at him. He half-expected to see green eyes stare back at him with a familiar intensity.

Instead, the baby had his mother’s eyes, baby blue, just like Theo’s, instead of piercing green.

Disappointed, Theo released the carriage and stepped back. 

“Thank you.” He put all the sincerity he could into his next words. “Give my best to Harry.”

Both, however, knew full well she’d do no such thing.


	9. Cerulean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cerulean  
> Rating: M  
> Word Count: 399  
> Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence. Mentions of Mental Health. Mentions of Death.
> 
> AUTHOR: [msmerlin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Msmerlin/pseuds/Msmerlin)

“I didn’t mean to! I didn’t _know_ —“

“Potter, stop. Just breathe.”

“But I—“

“I said _breathe_.”

* * *

Harry’s friendship with Theo had been unexpected.

He hadn’t really given the Slytherin much thought before that fateful day. He hadn’t been able to find sleep. Not with Malfoy’s blood staining his skin, refusing to disappear no matter how many times he’d showered.

He’d almost killed him—unintentionally, but it really matter. Had Snape not shown up Harry would have been just as bad as the megalomaniac he was trying to stop.

It was in that mania that Theo found him. Crying in the middle of the fourth floor corridor, clinging to himself. Theo owed him nothing—not a second glance, or shred of sympathy, but he’d stopped.

He’d helped him.

He brought him back to reality and helped him through the storm. Holding him as he cried, and calming his tears.

Through the end of the term, their friendship remained. Stilted hello’s and waves in passing.

The following year he’d only seen Theo at the Battle of Hogwarts so when he’d shown up for 8th year he’d assumed Theo had forgotten about the time he’d saved him.

* * *

“Shhh!”

 _“Potter_ , please.”

“Harry. Say Harry.”

“ _Harry_ , kiss me.”

* * *

Broom closet meet ups, and late night revision sessions turned over the clothes groping. It had begun just as suddenly as it started, and before Harry knew it, Theodore Nott was the only thing he could think of.

There was no Quidditch, and no friends.

Only a blue-eyed auburn haired boy whose skin felt like silk and kiss tasted of heaven.

* * *

“We can’t keep doing this.”

“ _What?_ ”

“We can’t be together. Not really—not the way you deserve.”

“Says who?”

“ _Everyone!_ I’m the son of a Death Eater and you’re a bloody hero!”

* * *

He’d only told Hermione of their secret rendezvous, holding her in a strict confidence that was generally reserved for siblings.

She listened, and held him as he cried. She skipped revision and Hogsmeade dates to dry his tears. She was his voice of reason.

Just when he’d given up hope and was ready to move on, Theo came back into his life, just as suddenly as he’d appeared.

* * *

_"Lumos!"_

"It’s me!”

“Theo?”

“Yeah.”

“What… what’s wrong? What are you doing—“

“He’s dead.”

“Who?”

“M-My dad.”

“ _Fuck…_ are you okay?”

“Harry… I… I need you—I can’t do this alone.”


	10. Da Ba Dee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Da Ba Dee  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 387  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Tridogmom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tridogmom/pseuds/Tridogmom)

Theo looked himself over in the mirror making sure he looked perfect in his emerald green shirt. Sure, it was his housemate’s birthday, but he wasn’t focused on Hermione or the fact that she was twenty. 

Tonight he was going to work on securing the affections of his other housemate, Harry. 

They’d all become friends in Auror training, and after complaining that he hated living at Nott Manor, Harry had asked him to move in. Grimmauld was too large for two people, he’d said. So the next week, Theo moved in with Harry and Hermione. Two days later, he knew Harry was his.

Theo followed his housemates into the Muggle club. The music was loud, the air thick, but his eyes were focused on the way Harry looked in his jeans. He would suffer through a hundred packed clubs to see that view. 

An hour later he was sitting next to Harry as they sipped on their drinks as the rest of their large party was on the dance floor. Theo glanced at his soulmate and could feel that he wanted to dance but was hesitant. 

Standing up, Theo reached out. 

“Come on, Potter,” he called. “I want to dance and I need you to help me with the Muggleness of it.”

Harry rolled his eyes but stood up and they walked into the crowd of people. Bodies were crowded around them and he moved closer, not willing to be separated. Someone pushed into the back of him making him stumble but Harry caught him before he could fall. 

The song changed, the strong bass fading for a few moments and their eyes locked. Theo’s heart began to pound, the calmness he normally felt around Harry fleeing as their mouths moved closer. 

_I’m blue – da ba dee da ba dye_

The bass from the song flaired back to life, pumping through his body and Theo pulled back, the moment ruined. 

“What in the ever living fuck is this song?” Theo asked. 

“It’s called Blue,” Harry explained, closing the distance between them again. “It’s complete shite, catchy, and what you’re going to think of every time we talk about our first kiss.”

Theo’s heart stopped as Harry kissed him. It roared back to life in time with the music. 

Forget green, blue was his new favourite colour.


	11. Dark Corners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Dark Corners  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 394  
> Warnings: Major Character Death
> 
> AUTHOR: [NotAMuggleMiss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAMuggleMiss/profile)

Hogwarts lay in ruins around him, but the Boy-Who-Lived hardly seemed to notice anything other than the man in front of him.

Though acrid smoke still burned his lungs and the sounds of grief assaulted his aching head from every direction, the battle’s chaotic aftermath receded as Harry looked into Theo’s blue eyes and was enveloped by a surprising calmness.

He smiled.

The world had never been particularly kind to Harry. Yet, this world that chewed him up and spat him out, leaving him to brokenly gather his pieces before attempting to swallow him whole, had also given him Theo. This man was his breath of fresh air in a life that had always been cruel to him. Theo’s love had carried Harry through the past two years of horrors and struggles, lightening his burdens and doubling his joys.

The necessary secrecy surrounding their relationship had taken its toll, of course, but the weight of it had somehow never cost more than the price Harry was willing to pay for their stolen moments of solace. Nothing brought peace to the soul quite like a warm body, a willing mouth, a listening ear, a tender touch. 

There was something about the way their heartbeats had always fallen into sync as they memorized each others’ faces in dark corners, drinking in the details and painting portraits kept safe in their minds. They held fast to them like blankets, to ward off the bitter cold of war and their anguish at existing on opposite sides of it.

Harry thought Theo was the most beautiful man he had ever seen, even now, with his face covered in the remnants of a battle he could have chosen not to fight. Perhaps he was even more handsome because he chose to fight it anyway.

For love. 

There was some measure of insanity in what some people were willing to do for love. Harry was beginning to understand the madness of it intimately. It was the adrenaline coursing through his veins even as a pain he had never known before seemed to slowly overtake his senses. 

As Harry stared into Theo’s unseeing blue eyes one last moment before gently pulling his lids closed, he felt surprisingly calm. 

But the calm often comes before the storm. As he slowly rose to walk away, Harry vowed the coming tempest would drown them all.


	12. Friend of a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Friend of a Friend  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 399  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [granger_danger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/granger_danger/pseuds/granger_danger)

“What’s the harm, Harry, honestly?” Hermione skewers him with a textbook Hermione Look. It isn’t a question, not the way she says it.

“Best-case scenario, you could stop third-wheeling.” Draco perches behind her, digging his pointy chin into her shoulder, one hand snaking over her belly and the other disturbingly concealed. Harry’s warmed to him, over time, but never to the sheer volume of their PDA.

Hermione dislodges Draco and shoots him a Look as well, far more intimate but equally exasperated. “Meaning we could double date,” she clarifies.

“How do you know him again?” It’s not the first time Harry’s asked, and he doesn’t like the glance they exchange one bit.

“Do try to keep an open mind.” Hermione’s tone brokers no arguments. She smiles, sympathetic and hopeful, as she swats at Draco’s hand, which is sliding purposefully towards her arse.

In Harry’s desperation to exit before they undress each other, he agrees to one blind date.

That Friday Harry finds himself tucked into the back corner booth at _Azure,_ per his instructions. Diagon’s newest spot is all black leather, moody blue lighting, undulating waves of synth. An indifferent waitress brings a carafe, and he loses himself, lulled by the way the swirling beams paint the water cobalt.

Harry feels his date before he sees him and looks up. A lanky man stands before him, handsome in a well-tailored suit, his brown hair artfully disheveled.

Between the fluctuating tides of blue light and the passage of a decade, it takes a long moment for his brain to resolve this admittedly fit man into Theodore Nott.

Fucking Hermione. Fucking Malfoy, more likely.

Fucking _Theo,_ although that thought opens a line of inquiry that heats Harry’s cheeks.

“Looking well, Potter.” Nott tosses himself down breezily, not quite across from him but not quite next to him either.

Harry rubs at his hair, self-conscious. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Theo shrugs, pouring them each water, and the blue glow coursing through it divides and multiplies. “How many eligible wizards can they possibly know? If not you, Finch-Fletchley, and who wants _him_ at dinner parties?”

Harry raises a brow. “And you still came?”

Theo runs his tongue over his teeth, calculated and charming. “You’re insufferable, Potter.” Beneath the table, what must be a foot slides against Harry’s ankle, sinuous, catching the cuff of his trousers. “Of course I did.”

Harry’s mind is open.


	13. Happenstance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Happenstance  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 395  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [kifiyathewriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kifiyathewriter/pseuds/kifiyathewriter)

January 13, 1996

This situation happened by accident; happenstance if you would. Harry had wandered these halls countless times in search of some ever-elusive truth to whatever questions life had chosen to toss upon his shoulders. He’d taken them all, mostly in stride, but for some reason unknown, this year was proving more difficult than those previous. No, this year his mind was a jumbled mess of anger; a yearning sense of frustration for something that he couldn’t quite grasp, and nothing that he did, nor anyone in a position to help, mattered.

A whisper of a sound reached his ears, deep in the bowels of Hogwarts’ dungeons, and Harry paused to look into the eyes of Theodore Nott. The light from his own wand cast an eerie glow on the other boy’s crystal blue gaze. He watched the Slytherin’s Adam’s apple bob along the column of his throat, entranced. Neither spoke, but an understanding passed between them, resulting in an ever-winding string of events that would come to shape each of their lives.

* * *

Years passed, and both passively watched the other’s life flit across their vision like scenes from a movie, never being allowed the role of active participant, both bound by duty and familial obligations. Glances across crowded ballrooms. Pats on the back in box seats at quidditch games. Stolen moments were never spoken of aloud, while embers laid in wait for a spark that might one day catch.

Bold lettered headlines screamed across the page, the tragedy of their chosen one being no longer chosen by his supposed beloved. The masses were left to wonder what troubles had befallen such a lovely family to drive them so far apart. No one seemed concerned by what had become of the quiet boy who’d bewitched their emerald-eyed savior.

* * *

Harry strolled over to a park bench in the suburbs of muggle London, occupied by one. He breathed deeply, the enormity of this moment striking him in full, before sitting beside the lone male figure. He relaxed his posture, allowing his hand to rest beside his companion. He closed his eyes, taking yet another fortifying breath before he allowed his pinky to touch the other man's hand. When he opened his eyes once more, everything was calm. The sky matching the blue of his lover’s eyes. The one he’d discovered by chance, by happenstance.


	14. Incorrect Assumptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Incorrect Assumptions  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 399  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [sophh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophh/pseuds/sophh)

One of the earliest drawings in the blue leather-bound sketchbook caught Harry's eye immediately, because it was of _him._ He marveled at the artist's skill before his eyes drifted to the poem in the margin.

_His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, his hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine, the hero who conquered the Dark Lord._

Harry frowned and went to find Ginny.

* * *

"This isn't mine," Ginny said flatly. She flipped through the sketchbook, stopping when she saw the drawing of Harry. Her eyes grew wide. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it sitting on a bench in the courtyard. Wait—it isn't yours? It's got that poem you sent me back in second year in it!"

Ginny sighed. "I didn't send you that."

"But you—you blushed and ran away when Malfoy said you'd written it!" He'd spent _three years_ thinking Ginny sent him that Valentine!

"Harry, I was always blushing around you back then! And Malfoy calling me out just made me even more embarrassed!"

Harry sank onto the couch beside Ginny. "If this sketchbook isn't yours, then whose is it?"

* * *

Over the next few days, Harry and Ginny tried unsuccessfully to locate the owner of the blue sketchbook. They focused their efforts on Ravenclaws—"It's their House color," Ginny pointed out—but they all denied that it belonged to one of them.

Harry started carrying it around with him in the hopes that someone would recognize it. That same day, while on his way to Transfiguration, Theo Nott stopped him.

"What are you doing with my sketchbook, Potter?"

Harry blinked. "Hang on, this is _yours?"_ He felt deceived, angry, and confused. _"You_ sent me that singing Valentine and didn't even have the guts to tell me you'd done it?"

"Look, I'm not a bloody Gryffindor, alright?" Theo hissed, pulling him into a deserted corridor. "I don't go around proclaiming my feelings. I went out on a limb with the Valentine and regretted it. When Draco thought Weasley had sent it, I let her take the blame."

"Wow." Harry tried to digest this turn of events and concluded that Theo wasn't the _worst_ admirer he could've had. "So, do you still…"

Theo leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "Does that answer your question?"

Harry nodded, his heart racing. "It does."


	15. Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Left Behind  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 273  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [AlocYrrehc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlocYrrehc/pseuds/AlocYrrehc)

Theodore Nott sat alone, forever alone, in the cavernous Nott library, contemplating whether ten am was too early to being drinking one’s self to death. “It’s five o’ clock somewhere,” he muttered, quoting that obnoxious line Potter and Granger would chant anytime they arrived at the Leaky even a minute early.

Potter.

The thought of arriving at Potter’s wedding already a few deep stopped him in his tracks. Not today. Today, he would put on his best dress robes and plaster on a smile while he stood next to the love of his sad, pathetic life as if his heart weren’t breaking to watch him marry someone else.

The quiet click of the library door caught Theo’s attention, and he looked up as Fitz, his _paid_ house elf, _thankyouverymuchHermioneGranger_ , entered, a blue envelope in his hand. He recognized the handwriting immediately and tore it away from the house elf with a quick “thank you, please leave me, Fitz.”

  


_Theo,_

_I’m a coward. Can you believe it? Consummate Gryffindor like me, and I’m running away. I’ve been dreaming about this day since I was ten years old, and it’s made me blind to the reality of the situation. Harry would never leave me because it’s not in his nature, but Theo, we wouldn’t be happy together. I’ve been selfish to hold on to him for this long. Be patient with him, for I don’t think he’s quite going to understand, and he’s going to blame himself, the idiot. Please know that I love you both dearly, and I hope that someday you’ll both be able to forgive me._

 _Make each other happy._

_Love,_

_Ginny_


	16. Liminal Progression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Liminal Progression  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [bionically](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bionically/pseuds/bionically)

Theo studies Harry Potter like there's a test on the line. 

There is—his freedom's at stake.

Potter squints through gold-rimmed glasses, disdain emblazoned across his face.

"You don't _know_ where your father is?" 

They've been circling this topic for the past hour. Theo knows; he’s checked his watch three times.

"I really don't, Potter."

Theo can't help a small smile when Potter gnashes his teeth.

* * *

Potter's decided to confront him at his club. Theo leans back in his armchair and evaluates the Auror, whose face bears a thin sheen of sweat and a deep scowl.

There's a stack of photographs, haphazardly thrown down like a gauntlet. "Look at these girls, Nott. _Look at them._ Your father should be brought to justice for what he did."

Potter's hand is clenched into a fist, but Theo's always been good at dodging blows. He yawns. "Are we finished?"

It’s mildly titillating that Potter actually _growls_ when he's really peeved.

* * *

He's persistent, Theo gives him that. He actually startles when Potter emerges from the shadows of the shuttered Fortescue's behind him.

"Fancy that. I never expected you to have a heart for children," Potter drawls.

Theo adjusts his cuff. "It was only a lolly."

"And the balloon?"

"Isn’t this outside of your jurisdiction?"

It's the first time Theo sees Potter laugh. He's not thinking that Potter's eyes crinkle up at the edges when he's amused.

* * *

Theo sees rumpled black hair seconds before the sharp blade of his opponent slices through his shirt so cleanly that it falls apart in a soft whisper.

It’s Potter in the flesh, wearing a worried frown. Sharp eyes focus on Theo’s exposed torso. “Who did that to you?” 

“Accident.” Theo pulls his shirt together.

“Looks like an entire series of accidents.” There’s a thin layer of anger In Potter’s voice that Theo’s very familiar with, usually seconds before a blow.

Theo’s not used to someone angry _on_ his behalf.

“Your father did this to you.” Potter forestalls Theo’s denial with a raised hand. “I’d recognise that spellwork anywhere. You’re still protecting him?”

Theo's dry chuckle is rife with unspoken meaning. “No.”

Potter’s eyes hold a world of emotions—realisation, understanding, sympathy—that Theo doesn’t want. He’s so close Theo can see his dark green limbal ring. “He won’t hurt you again. I promise you.”

Theo’s arrested in motion by words he's heard many times before.

Somehow, this time he believes them.


	17. Liminality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Liminality  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [ravenslight]()

At any second on any given day, someone somewhere in the world is realising they’re in love for the very first time.

Deep in the Forbidden Forest, Theo lies on a bed of decaying leaves. His heart beats a frantic rhythm against his ribs, a volatile sea desperately fighting to free itself of its shore.

Theo has no map for navigating the maze of synapses that have forged a path in the negative space between his body and Harry’s, just as there’s no explanation for the trees in the forest shrinking from the brush of one another’s branches. 

It’s the in-between, the hazy boundaries of night and day and all the stolen glances they've traded. 

In the dark of the night when the sky is so black that the dawning navy of day is little more than a phantasm on the horizon, Theo can’t catch his breath for the want that consumes him. 

A smattering of ash and dried blood freckle Harry’s nose. “We’re alive.” 

He’s a mosaic of a man, sea glass shattered and fit back together along jagged edges, and Theo wishes he could hold the pieces in place for Harry even if it means cutting himself.

“How do we go on? I don’t even know who I am.” Harry’s words end in a rasp, tears shining bright behind his glasses, magnified into starlight by shattered lenses.

Theo feels it then: the precipice, the moment his foot nudges a rock into the great abyss the delft depths of which he can either run from or jump headlong into.

In the scant stretch of a moment, Theo leaps. It’s never been a choice. Not really, not for him.

He hooks his pinky around Harry’s, a neuron sparking electricity as it bridges the gap between them. A breeze, the collective exhale of the universe’s held breath, gently nudges tree limbs together until they entangle overhead. “I know you.” 

Perhaps it’s a mistake, but they’re the only words that he can force past the knot in his throat, the veritable tidal wave of emotion threatening to drag him under.

Oxygen be damned; Theo will drown on dry land for the anchor that the juncture of their skin offers. And when Harry squeezes his pinky in return, the tide in his chest calms, content to rest in the gravitational pull of Harry’s touch.

On the horizon, day breaks and with it, peace.


	18. Losing, for the Benefit of Gaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Losing, for the Benefit of Gaining  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 398  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [TeacupNiffler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teacupniffler/pseuds/teacupniffler)

"How are you so calm?" Harry's fist pounded the wall, the chalky plaster dust sticking to his quickly bruising skin.

"I'm not calm." Theo's voice was serene as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"You certainly seem calm." Harry paced, running a hand through his wild hair. "I just can't... how can he be so... you're his _son_."

"That's never meant anything to him before."

"But-"

"Harry... love, stop." Theo rose from the bed, his tall lithe frame approaching Harry. Theo stopped him from pacing, taking Harry's hand and brushing a thumb over the injured knuckles. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You shouldn't have to be sorry, Theo. It's your father who should-"

"My father is the small-minded, arrogant arsehole he's always been. I don't care about him; I care about you. So, I'm sorry that what he said hurt you." 

"Me? I'm worried about you. How are you not more upset about this? About what he said he would do?" 

A twisted grimace broke Theo's serene facade. 

"That he would cut me off? Disown me if I married the man I love?" 

From his pocket, Theo pulled the gold band that he had proposed to Harry with the week before. 

"I am calm, Harry, because I know my father can't change the fact that you chose to marry me. To love me." 

"Of course-" 

"My father is not the family I care about." Theo interrupted, slipping the ring back onto Harry's finger. "I care about you." 

Theo bent to kiss the ring, and then Harry's bruised knuckles. 

"I care about you, and Malfoy, and Granger, and Parkinson, and yes, even the bloody Weasley's. If I seem calm, it's because I don't feel like I'm losing a father. With you, I finally feel like I've found a family. One that loves me for me." 

Tears welled in Harry's eyes as Theo kissed him gently. Loving him despite their hardships, their past and the cruel words Theo's father had thrown at them. Harry's chest constricted as he tried to find the words to express the love he felt for the man before him. Nothing elegant, nor close to how he really felt came to him, and instead, Harry muttered, 

"I'm sorry I punched the wall." 

"It's alright." Theo smiled, a soft look that meant he understood. "I was planning on repainting anyway. How about a nice calming blue?" 


	19. Mixed Signals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Mixed Signals  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 398  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [persephone_stone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephone_stone/pseuds/persephone_stone)

Amidst the drab furnishings of The Leaky Cauldron, Theo Nott stood out. More specifically: his expertly-tailored, grotesquely expensive, shockingly bright cobalt blue _suit_ stood out.

His handsome face, lanky physique, and artfully tousled hair didn’t help. 

At least, not in Harry’s opinion.

And Harry—feeling quite pleasantly soused from several rounds of Butterbeer, quite blissfully free of his usual reservations and insecurities, and also quite exceptionally _interested_ in his former schoolmate—had decided to make his opinion known.

He strode to the bar, stumbling only once on the way, and dropped into the seat beside Theo. Leaning forward, he carefully tapped the other man’s shoulder. “Erm, Theo? Theo Nott?”

Theo turned, lifting an eyebrow. “Yes?”

Harry opened his mouth. Closed it. Grimaced when he realized he had absolutely no idea how to do this.

A resigned look appeared on Theo’s face. “You too, huh? Well, then.” He stood slowly, straightening his jacket and lifting his chin. “Go ahead, let me have it. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. Nothing I don’t deserve as the son of a Death Eater, I suppose.”

Harry blinked in confusion. “I—”

“The bastard’s dead, thank Merlin, but I’ll pass along your remarks the next time I spit on his grave.”

“No, I—”

Theo’s cheeks flushed, and he huffed out a humorless chuckle. “Come now, Potter, I expected more from the Chosen One. I was there when you told off Umbridge, I know you have a temper—”

Harry had heard enough. He surged to his feet, one hand reaching out to grasp Theo’s. His other hand came up to rest against Theo’s chest, palm pressed tightly over his racing heart. “Calm down, Theo. _Please._ I’m not here to berate you.” 

He watched Theo’s pupils, blown wide with anxiety, slowly return to their normal size as the words sank in. He took a deep breath, nodding when Theo mimicked the action. He licked his lips, felt his own heartbeat trip in his chest when Theo’s eyes—a different shade of blue than his suit, but still rather mesmerizing—dropped to his mouth.

“I just wanted to buy you a drink,” Harry murmured quietly. His earlier buzz was gone; in its place was a warm, tingling anticipation.

Theo’s nostrils flared, fingers flexing in Harry’s grasp. “You did?”

Harry nodded. “Still do, really.”

Theo grinned, then sat once more, pulling Harry down next to him. “Well. Why didn’t you say so?”


	20. Namaste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Namaste  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 399  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [HollyBrianne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyBrianne/pseuds/HollyBrianne)

Who would've thought that Harry Potter, child soldier, war hero, slayer of the Dark Lord, did yoga? Certainly not Theo. But there was no mistaking that hair or that scar passing him by in Muggle London.

"I went the direction he came from—" Theo was saying in the comfort of Malfoy Manor's smoking room later that day.

"What's 'yoga'?" Draco interrupted.

"Not sure," Theo said, "but it seems to involve individual rubbery carpets and men in extremely tight trousers."

Draco guffawed. “So naturally you were interested.”

“Naturally,” Theo confirmed. “Anyway, I went down the street and found the shop. I know it's the one because there were Muggles milling about, wearing tight trousers and holding their own little carpets, same as Potter—”

"What were _you_ doing in Muggle London?" Draco interrupted again.

"— and… what?"

"You say Potter was in Muggle London."

"Yes."

"Therefore _you_ were in Muggle London. What were you doing?"

Theo paused, stalling by taking a deep drag from his old-fashioned pipe and breathing out a perfectly circular smoke ring. “Errands.”

“Fine. Your point?” Draco sighed.

“The name of the shop was ‘Namaste: Relaxation Yoga’. It just sounds nice, you know? _Relaxation_. I’d like to relax.”

“We _are_ relaxing,” Draco insisted. “Right now.”

“Right.” Theo puffed on his pipe again. “Yeah.”

* * *

The following Wednesday, Theo went fashionably early to his psychiatrist appointment and waited outside, scanning passersby. When he spotted his target, he stepped into the centre of the footpath and they promptly collided.

“Potter?” he said, feigning surprise.

Potter gaped back. “Nott?”

“The one and only,” Theo replied without thinking, instantly regretting it. “Except for my bastard of a father, of course, but I don’t want to talk about him. Well, I do, I suppose, but only in there.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the psychiatrist's office. Potter’s expression transformed from a grimace into understanding. Theo laughed awkwardly and looked around, desperate for something to help him stop rambling. “Nice trousers.”

Potter blushed and reached up to rub his neck. “Oh, they’re for my yoga class. I guess it’s my version of therapy. It keeps me calm.”

Calm was the exact opposite of the feeling that Theo had when looking at Harry’s arse in those trousers, but he nodded like it made sense. “Calm is good. Maybe I’ll try it sometime.”

Harry smiled, still blushing. “Brilliant. Maybe I’ll see you, then.”


	21. Nuages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Nuages  
> Rating: M  
> Word Count: 399  
> Warnings: Minor Character Death
> 
> AUTHOR: [In_Dreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dreams/pseuds/In_Dreams)

The blinding sun pulled Theo from the darkness brewing within him as he emerged from the Ministry onto Whitehall. Overhead, a bright blue sky mocked him, cloudless and insincere.

Theo didn't know what to make of the moment; of the loss of his father, taken in a cruel and barbaric fashion. Stripped of his soul to become an empty husk of the man he had once been. Although his father had always been soulless, the irony was a little rich.

Theo didn't lament the loss but one parent was better than none. After the neverending wave of trials that followed the Battle of Hogwarts, he had expected as much.

It didn't make the experience any easier to stomach.

As one of the Aurors on the case, Harry Potter had been present for the Dementor's Kiss. Warmth had flared in Theo's face when he saw his old classmate, and more than once, he'd felt the man's stare linger.

Now, Potter sidled up alongside Theo, squinting in the sudden brightness. "Nice day," he muttered.

Despite himself, Theo snorted; he'd always favoured dark humour himself. "Depends on your definition." Theo jammed his hands in his pockets and they stared up at the azure sky in silence. "Yeah. I guess so."

Potter didn't walk away and Theo wasn't sure whether he wanted him to.

"It doesn't really get easier," Potter said at last. "Knowing you're alone."

"Great talk, Potter," Theo drawled, forcing a thick swallow. He felt hot and nauseous―but oddly, some of the tension he'd carried for months had sloughed from his shoulders to know that it was just _over_. "Real fucking encouraging―"

Potter's hand landed on his back, fingers curling over his shoulder with a squeeze. Theo fell silent, his eyelids sliding shut for a brief moment as he sucked in a deep breath. A wave of panic, of gut-wrenching _pain_ tore through him; his eyes burned with the hot sting of moisture. Blinking rapidly, he looked once more to the sky.

"Nott." Glancing sidelong, Theo caught his eyes. He knew those eyes. From countless stolen looks across the Great Hall; through house and battle lines. Forbidden; coveted. Theo would recognise those eyes anywhere. "Let's get a drink, yeah?"

For just a moment, he melted into Potter's hold and felt the strain seep away, replaced with an odd sense of calm. The word fell from his lips on a breath. "Yeah."


	22. Perfect Medium Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Perfect Medium Blue  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 396  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [crochetaway](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crochetaway/pseuds/crochetaway)

Theo had never considered the perfect, medium color of blue until he saw Potter for the first time after Voldemort’s defeat. Theo had seen a lot of colors in his lifetime. A curse from his dead mother, though Lovegood—a gorgeous pale peach of serenity—called it a blessing.

“Seeing aura’s makes you a natural in the art of divination, cousin Theo,” Lovegood had dreamily told him. He’d vowed never to ask her anything ever again. 

Most people emitted the same color all of the time, each associated with a specific emotion. Draco was cold, monochromatic silver, carefully hiding everything behind Occlumancy. Occasionally, a warm flash of violet pride burst through, harkening back to their school years. 

Greg alternated between bright, blindingly pink like a fat, gluttonous pig and the lightest sky-blue—the color of sloth—like a lazy summer day. 

Pansy was a sickly yellow of greed that rolled off of her like a thick fog, except when she was looking at Draco and then she flashed red, her lust clear as a bell and heavy as a hammer.

Blaze was the hardest to _see_ , but when Theo did get glimpses it was the bright orange of wrath. He kept it well hidden behind jokes, tight smiles, and sneers, but Blaze was the one who would go off the deep end at the slightest provocation. Theo had no idea how he was able to keep such a tight grip on his aura, but he assumed it meant nothing good.

It was a shock to run into Potter in Diagon Alley and be bombarded with the brilliant blue of calm. Potter radiated it in long, relaxing waves and Theo found himself speaking to Potter for the first time, maybe ever. Then Potter had made him laugh and Theo had asked him for coffee, so he could bask in the calming effects Potter’s aura had on him. His eyes widened when Potter agreed and he knew he flushed a bright red. Not for the first time, Theo wondered what his aura looked like. Though, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get up the courage to ask Lovegood. 

Coffee went better than expected and Theo choked when Potter asked him out on a proper date. Theo knew, just by looking at Potter, that he could get awfully used to waking up next to such a pretty, calming blue. He hoped Potter felt similarly.


	23. Persian Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Persian Blue  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count:389  
> Warnings: Mentions of Memory Loss
> 
> AUTHOR: [TakingFlight48](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakingFlight48/pseuds/TakingFlight48)

In this infinite silence, he stares out the window. The sun glistens in from the corner of the small opening against the backdrop of azure blue. It’s always blue. As if the weather here can never shift from being anything but steady, certain, calm. 

But even in the room's relaxed ambience, he is ready when someone new enters the space.

“Are you here to tell me precisely why I am here?” He snaps, eyeing the man. He is tall, dark-haired, and gaunt, his green robes hanging off his form. He almost suggests the stranger stay awhile in this serene room—a sudden urge to share the tranquillity with him but doesn’t.

Instead of answering, the newcomer shifts uncomfortably by the door. It finally clicks shut as a shaky hand runs up his sharp, stubbled jaw. 

“Merlin? Isn’t there someone in this drab place that can answer me?” His heart tightens painfully, involuntarily, at the flash of sadness that skitters across the strangers face before they stop by his bed. 

Straightening, he tilts his chin back and clasps his hands atop his extended legs, silently demanding a response. 

With a tightening jaw, the man offers him a small vial of shimmering liquid. 

“Drink this,” an almost haunted voice demands. “ _Please_.”

“Why would I drink something without knowing what it’s for? I demand answers, or I will storm out of here!”

“Right, what’s your name then?”

“What a fucking moronic question, my name is…” but he stops short. A sharp pain radiates through his head where synapses should be convening to produce the correct combination of syllables to speak his name. 

“Why don’t I...why can’t I...what is wrong with me?”

“Your name is Theodore Nott II. You suffered a severe accident. I am Healer Potter. This potion is our newest attempt to help regain your memory.” Healer Potter rushes out, a shaky hand pausing before his face with the undulating Persian blue liquid in his grasp. 

“Regain _all_ your memory.”

Theodore takes the vial after a final pause, snaps his head back and allows the cool liquid to slip over his tongue and into his system, his mind begging him to remember—begging it to work. 

With a deep gasp, Theo’s eyes fly up to Harry’s. 

“Harry.” Theo reaches desperately for him. 

“My love,” Harry chokes out, moments before Theo’s world goes black.


	24. Shanty by the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Shanty by the Sea  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 398  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [KasmiAnn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KasmiAnn/pseuds/KasmiAnn)

As Harry stepped out into the sun, he took a deep breath, breathing in the salty sea air. He stripped off his clothes and made his way towards the sparkling cerulean blue water, his toes digging into the warm sand. He waded out into the water and dove under once it reached waist-high. Harry swam a few yards, coming up once he knew he would be surrounded only by blue. He turned onto his back with his arms spread wide as his feet made small kicks to keep him afloat. He opened his eyes and stared up at the pale blue sky, and felt the stress of the week melt away. 

This was home.

This secluded place of theirs was where he felt the most at peace. As far as his eyes could see was blue, in every glorious shade. In one direction, the sky was the palest of blue, with streaks of yellow and orange as the sun began to dip beneath the horizon. In the other direction, the night sky was taking over with shades of midnight blue and hues of purple. 

During his therapy sessions after the war, Harry was advised to find the thing that brought him peace and surround himself with it. It had taken quite some time.

His answer eventually came to him most unexpectedly. 

_He had been sitting at his desk filling out endless paperwork from their most recent acquisition when Kingsley tapped on his door._

_“Potter, when you have a moment, I need you next door.” the Minister said._

_Harry had sighed and rubbed his hand over his tired eyes as he stood to follow the Minister to the office next door._

_“What is it, Kings?” He asked._

_“Your new partner assignment has been approved,” Kingsley replied, gesturing to the man standing next to him._

_Harry looked over at the man, and as their eyes met, everything in Harry’s world froze._

_There was no sound._

_There were no feelings of tiredness or stress._

_There was only calm and a peaceful, comforting silence as he stared into the purest blue eyes he had ever seen._

_It was then that he knew. He needed to surround himself with all things blue._

Harry smiled, thinking of that moment again when suddenly those same blue eyes came into his view. 

Theo leaned over to kiss him. “Alright love?” He asked. 

Harry grinned. “Never better.”


	25. Snapped Threads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Snapped Threads  
> Rating: M  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [LumosLyra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumosLyra/pseuds/LumosLyra)

The slip of blue wove through his fingers, finely knit weave soothing the chill as he took what little comfort he could from the small item. The waiting room was stark and white, mended chairs littered the space, wooden benches lined the perimeter, and faded landscapes hung on otherwise bare walls. It smelled too strongly of antiseptic, cleanser, and something sickly sweet that coated his senses and did little to ease the tension rolling off of his body.

The ding of the lift drew his eyes towards the corridor where the rush of heavy footfalls fell over waxed tile. Theodore braced himself on the frame of the door, cool blue eyes meeting frantic green, before he pushed into the near empty room. The thread by which Harry had been holding himself together snapped, the scrap of blue twisting painfully in his fingers as his knuckles grew white from the force of his hold. He felt the brush of Theo’s hand, soft and comforting against his back, as he fought to hold back tears. 

The words caught in Harry’s throat, sour with the risen bile that hadn’t abated since the contingent of Aurors knocked on the door to their home hours before. “She was attacked.” 

“Robards informed me when they pulled me from the Wizengamot. Knew I had to come find you.” Theo’s voice was quiet and steady as he tucked Harry against his chest, hands heavy and familiar against his back. “Is she in surgery?” 

“They don’t… they…” Harry gripped the bit of blue tighter as he fought to say the words that wouldn’t come—the words he couldn’t dare let himself think lest he give them wings to manifest. 

Harry’s brow furrowed, frustration and grief clawing at his throat. “How are you so calm?” 

“Hannah forced two vials of _Ellington’s Ease_ down my throat before I came.”

Harry pulled back, green-eyed gaze searching Theo’s face for the inevitable tell. “You’re shielding.” 

Theo swallowed, “And that.” 

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do that anymore.” 

“Your wife is in surgery, Potter. I don’t think this is the time to—”

“—Mr. Potter.” The firm lyrical voice of the slight young surgeon standing in the doorway cut through their quiet bickering. Theo’s hand wrapped around Harry’s forearm as Harry stood abruptly, the blanket Hermione had knit for their unborn son twisted in his hands. 

“Your wife is in recovery, your son is unharmed.”


	26. Soothing Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Soothing Light  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 396  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Art3misiA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Art3misiA/pseuds/Art3misiA)

“No! Stop! Please—! I’ll be good—!”

“Theo!”

“Father, _please—!”_

_“Theo!”_

The voice finally broke through the nightmare. He sat bolt upright, his chest heaving, his heart feeling like it would burst through his ribcage, his body trembling. Theo swore he could still feel the _Cruciatus_ burning through his veins like molten liquid. 

He turned his head slowly; feeling the tendons creak. For a moment, still half moored in the terrible remnants of the dream in which his father tortured him over insignificant misdemeanours, he was sure he would come face to face with his persecutor. But instead of the enraged and half-mad blue eyes of Nott Snr, he met bright green ones. 

Theo sighed harshly, dropped his head into his hands, and scrubbed at his face. “I’m sorry, Harry.”

“Sorry for what? Having a nightmare?” Harry’s hand, warm and calming, caressed the clammy skin on Theo’s back. 

“For waking you up again. For being—” Theo forced himself to lift his head and look directly at Harry. “—weak.”

Harry shook his head vehemently, his features morphing into a frown. “Theo - your experiences don’t make you weak.” He grabbed Theo’s hands and squeezed them for emphasis. “We fought through a _war._ Your father was a sadistic bastard who tortured his own son. That kind of experience will have a lasting impact on anyone, and I’ll keep saying this to you until you believe it.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Harry interrupted. He brought Theo’s hands together so his palms were cupped, picked up his wand and cast a familiar spell. 

The bluebell flame flared gently to life in Theo’s hands, and he immediately felt himself begin to relax. Harry had once told him that, while he was on the run, Hermione would often conjure the peaceful light. _“It didn’t just help keep us warm. It calmed us when we were afraid, or when we woke after a nightmare. It helped us; and I know it’ll help you, too.”_

Harry had been right - the bluebell flames always helped. They were beautiful; dancing gently in his hands, warm but never doing him harm, soothing his anguished thoughts.

He turned to the other man now with a small smile. “Thank you.”

“Always.” Harry smiled back and leaned in to gently kiss his lips, then rested his head on Theo’s shoulder. 

Together - united - they watched as the blue light flickered.


	27. The Bluest Water You’ll Ever See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Bluest Water You’ll Ever See  
> Rating: M  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [RoseHarperMaxwell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseHarperMaxwell/pseuds/RoseHarperMaxwell)

Ron claps you on the back, harder than he probably means to. "Don't be nervous, mate."

"Yes, everything's going to be fine, Harry." Hermione sticks a bundle of forget-me-nots to your shirt, hands fluttering as she straightens your collar.

"I know," you say. "I'm not nervous."

* * *

You still carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Theo brandishes charm and wit like protective shields. But since the first night the two of you connected, you've seen right through each other.

Being with Theo feels _good._ Like sinking into the deep bath he ran when you got off work late last week. His sure fingers slipped each button from your Auror robes; his bright eyes held yours. Tension rolled off your body, dissipating like steam from the water. It always does when you're with him.

Not that Theo doesn't make your pulse race or your nerves sing. He does, and he did that night, his effort evident in the amount of water sloshed on the floor. Afterward, you settled back against his chest, your head lolling on his shoulder as your heartbeat normalized.

"Draco owns an island," he said.

"Mm." Bliss softened your sense of curiosity. "That's no surprise."

"It's got the bluest water you'll ever see. So he says."

"Only the best for a Malfoy."

Theo's snort threatened a further breach of water. "I was thinking you could take a holiday from work. Maybe next week?"

Your thumb traced reassurance into the palm of his hand. "Robards has been a beast lately. 'Unless it's your funeral or your wedding, expect to be here for the foreseeable future.'"

"Funny you should say." The movement of Theo’s throat in your periphery betrayed his casual tone. "The water sounds quite spectacular. I was thinking I'd like to marry you by it, if that's alright with you."

* * *

The island—with guests you can count on the fingers between the two of you—gives you the privacy and solitude Theo knows you need.

And the water is really something, to be honest. But it has nothing on the man waiting for you at the end of the aisle, or his sparkling eyes that make you feel _seen._ He settles your restlessness and soothes the part of you that questions yourself.

So, no. You're not nervous at all, taking steps through warm sand toward your future. Your heart beats, slow and steady.

You've never been more sure.


	28. The Calm in the Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Calm in the Chaos  
> Rating: General  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [SorceressofMagic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorceressofMagic/pseuds/SorceressofMagic)

_Harry stormed out of the Great Hall, not having a destination in mind, just knowing he needed to get out. He couldn’t stand the fact that Dumbledore was avoiding him, Ron spent all his time sucking face with Lavender, and Hermione was an emotional wreck because of it. Harry’s feet led him towards the Great Lake._

_His face flushed red with anger. The students were acting like he was a liar. Harry hated liars. Harry was not a liar. He began to pace along the waters edge trying to gain control of his emotions so Voldemort wouldn’t notice. He clenched and unclenched his fists but paused hearing his name._

“Potter. You keep pacing like that someone is going to think you’re going for a dive.”

“Maybe I will. It would solve many of my problems.” Harry grumbled without looking up

“Maybe. But how many more will it create? I have a better solution.”

_Harry finally looked up and saw hauntingly beautiful blue eyes staring at him._

“Why are you here?” Harry finally choked out pulling his eyes away

“Saw you storm out. I recognized the look of everything getting ready to boil over. Thought I could help.”

“You could tell just by my look? My best friends are too wrapped up in their own problems to notice.” Harry sighed heavily

“Well, you have been kinda moody…and I don’t mean our professor.”

Harry chuckled, “I would have never pegged a Slytherin to be funny.”

“Not all of us are entitled ponces like Malfoy.”

_Harry raised an eyebrow in disbelief._

“Some of us are entitled decent guys.”

“And you’re one of the decent guys, Nott?” Harry asked curiously

“I’m here aren’t I?” Theo smirked

Harry gave a small smile, “So what’s your solution?”

“Scream.” Theo said bluntly

“Excuse me?” Harry questioned

“Scream. Take a deep breath and let it all out. It’ll help, promise.” Theo smiled a comforting smile

_Harry wasn’t sure, but once he looked into those icy blues, he knew it would be okay._

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

“Feel better?” Theo asked knowingly looking at the disheveled brunette

“Loads.” Harry stated breathing heavily

“Come on, there’s more too it. Let’s sit.” Theo guided Harry to a big rock overlooking the lake

“Just look out into the water and relax, it’s about finding the calm in the chaos.” He explained

“Yes, yes it is.” Harry breathed getting lost in his blue eyes once more


	29. The Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Match  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Misdemeanor1331](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misdemeanor1331/pseuds/Misdemeanor1331)

Their eyes met across the pitch. 

A slow irritation settled onto Harry’s shoulders as Theo lounged on his broom, relaxed to near indolence during the opening ceremony’s pomp. It bothered him, the cool confidence with which the opposing Seeker sat his broom. Living under the public’s eye wasn’t new, but Harry still didn’t relish it. He envied Theo’s poise. 

And Theo knew it. Even beneath the apertures of countless cameras, he smirked and licked his lips, blatantly suggestive. Indifferent to whatever speculation the _Prophet_ might print. 

Nevertheless, Harry’s irritation turned to intrigue. Heat crawled up his neck and suffused his cheeks. Judging from how he leaned forward on his broom, Theo had noticed. 

A game within a game: professional rivals, public acquaintances, private lovers. 

Harry flinched at the shrill whistle and flew to meet Theo at the pitch’s center. Even through the gloves, Harry’s hands felt clammy. Theo either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He tugged Harry a fraction closer. 

“Ready for me, Potter?” 

He’d been asking himself that question for weeks. Their tryst had started months ago. An evening of heavy drinking celebrating the marriage of Draco and Hermione. A hot press of lips and skin in one of the manor’s abandoned rooms. A fulfillment unlike anything Harry had ever known. 

With Theo’s fingers wrapped firmly around his own, Harry thought he knew the answer. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for nuanced conversation. He defaulted to blunt honesty:

“Yes.” 

Theo’s expression flickered; a flush crawled into _his_ cheeks for a change. They parted and flew to their starting positions. After another whistle, the match began. 

Several hours later, Harry and Theo flew abreast, their scouting patterns finding temporary parity. 

Theo shouted over the wind. “Did you mean it?” 

No need for clarification. And though Harry had already given his answer, repetition formed reality. “I am.” 

Unfettered joy lit Theo’s face, and Harry felt it take flight in his own chest. He threw his head back and laughed, weightless as the late afternoon clouds winked gold with hope. 

And with something else. 

He turned back to Theo, face split in a wide grin. “But just because I love you doesn’t mean I’ll let you win.” 

He pulled up sharply, rocketing skyward as Theo trailed laughter behind him. 

And together, they flew like twin raptors, caught in a tight spiral as they ascended into the clear blue sky and captured their future.


	30. The Sapphire Encrusted Fire Crab Hypothesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Sapphire Encrusted Fire Crab Hypothesis  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 399  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Frumpologist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frumpologist/pseuds/frumpologist)

**_Evidence: Potter & Fire Crabs_ ** __

  * Potter actually smiled at the blue bejeweled devils, obviously traumatized, can no longer recognize danger.
  * Entire class was proper horrified. Not him.
  * Dopey grin. Unrealistic excitement. He’s been bewitched.
  * He lost an eyebrow to crab’s arse-fire, then patted its shell and called it a ‘good boy’.
  * Regretfully found it adorable. And oddly arousing.
  * I’m probably hexed. Research countercurses.



__

After undergoing thorough testing—by none other than Hermione Granger—Theo is forced to conclude he isn’t hexed, poisoned, or enchanted. There are very few conclusions he can draw. He goes for the most obvious.

**_Hypothesis: Sapphire Encrusted Fire Crabs are Aphrodisiacs_ **

“That’s utterly asinine, Theo,” Hermione sighs as she slides the parchment back to him across the library desk. “There’s no evidence suggesting sapphire encrusted fire crabs provoke arousal in wizards or witches.”

“What do you believe then?” Theo’s lip twitches downward as he fights for composure. “I’m suddenly turned on by arthropods?”

“Orrrr,” she sings, huffing on the final note, “you fancy Harry.”

“Wrong.” Shifting in his seat, Theo taps the parchment with a blunt fingernail. “Proof’s right there in the evidence. Potter’s clearly aroused by the little buggers—did you see where I said he called it a ‘good boy’? Obvious daddy kink.”

Hermione leans back against her chair and crosses her arms. Something about her face is smug, and Theo doesn’t like it. “You’ve been his dorm mate for seven months, so it makes sense you’d start to fall for him.”

Theo protests. “This is obviously magical creature hypnotism. If we spend more time with those fire crabs, I’ll be waxing poetic about Potter’s shining emerald eyes and flyaway raven locks.”

“So you’ve noticed then?”

“Noticed what?”

She pegs him with her priggish smirk. “Harry’s shining emerald eyes and flyaway raven locks. You’ve noticed him.”

“Whatever, Granger.” Re-rolling the parchment, Theo drops his eyes from hers and tries to ignore the warning bells going off in his mind. “Don’t blame me when the whole school is aroused by the sight of sapphire jewels.”

He takes the long way back to his dorm. Annoyed that he keeps picturing Potter’s cheerful face. Certainly, it’s got to be the crustaceans playing with his mind.

Later, Potter arrives without a blue fire crab in his hands. Eyes bright, hair messy.

Theo’s aroused.

Then begrudgingly revises his hypothesis and curses Granger under his breath.

**Hypothesis: I Fancy Harry Potter**


	31. The Trace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Trace  
> Rating: M  
> Word Count: 397  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [ScullyMurphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScullyMurphy/pseuds/ScullyMurphy)

Harry jogged down the long, grey corridor and pushed through a door at the end. “You found something on our John Doe!?”

A dark-haired man in a crisp white lab coat turned slowly around in his swivel chair, the startling blue of his eyes undimmed behind rimless glasses. “I did.” A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 

“Don’t keep me in suspense, Nott.” Harry shot him a look as he moved further into the cramped office. 

Nott reached for an envelope stamped “Evidence” and slid a photo out of it. “It’s a potion, not a spell.” He arched a brow.

“Fuck, are you serious?” Harry stared in open disbelief. 

“Yes. A poisoned calming draught most likely.” Nott’s finger traced over the photo. “See this slight blue residue around his gums?” 

Harry leaned in. “Yeah. How odd.” He looked closer. “What is it?”

Nott glanced up. “A trace.”

“A what?”

“A trace. Something Black Star Potions is trying—marking their most lethal ingredients so they can be tracked after purchase. Top secret, but of course, I know the owner.” 

Harry blinked several times. “You’d expect Malfoy to _tell_ the DMLE he was doing that.” 

Nott tilted his head. “ _Would_ you?” 

Harry grimaced. “Fair point.” 

Nott put the photos back in the envelope, tossed it on his desk, and laced his hands behind his head. “So it looks like you just need to toddle up to Hogsmeade and show this to Draco. He’ll be able to tell you what it is and who bought it.” 

Harry held Nott’s gaze, then unholstered his wand and flicked the door closed over his shoulder. 

“Have I told you today how brilliant you are?”

“I don’t believe you have.” 

Harry leaned down and braced his hands on the arms of Theo’s chair. “You. Are fucking. Brilliant.” 

“Oh?” Theo held perfectly still.

“And I’d like to show my appreciation,” Harry breathed, leaning closer until their lips were almost touching. “When I get back tonight.” 

“I think that could be arranged.” Theo angled his head and teased at Harry’s mouth. “As long as I don’t have to set foot in your pigsty of a flat.” His dimple made an appearance.

Harry laughed softly. “I’ll come to yours this time.”

“Excellent.” Theo pushed up out of his chair and pressed Harry against the desk, pinning his wrists to the pitted wood. “I’ll be waiting.”


	32. There is a Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: There is a Calm  
> Rating: General  
> Word Count: 400  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [JCOBryan1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JCOBryan1990/pseuds/JCOBryan1990)

He stood there looking as calm as a duck upon the water. Looking out to the crowd gathered his gaze fell on the first row where Ron, Pansy, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, and Blaise all sat; each wearing some type of blue. Ron, Draco, and Blaise had opted for ties, all different shades, but blue all the same. Pansy wore a blue pea coat. Ginny had blue accents adorning her hair. Hermione wore a blue dress to match Draco’s tie, which, as Harry noticed, matched Theo’s eyes perfectly. It was Harry’s only request, wear something blue. 

His chest suddenly tightened. He felt his heartbeat begin to pick up. His hands flinched opened and closed three times. Then someone was calling his name, softly, in his ear. 

“Just breathe, love,” he could hear Theo whispering, “I’ve got you.” 

Harry turned from the sea of guests, closing his eyes, when Kingsley said, “Harry, it’s time.” 

Harry took one more deep breathe, counted to three and then began to speak clearly, “In a raging and wild sea, in the middle of the storm, there is a calm. In that calm there is a peace. In that peace there is an acceptance. In that acceptance there is unconditional love. I wasn’t raised with that calm and peace. I never thought to find it. I thought I would merely drift in the storm never getting to the eye where the calm resided. That was until I learned that that calm and peace came in the explosive form of Theodore Nott. It came falling quite literally through my window, not my Floo. It came with cheesy jokes and hearty laughs. It came with quick wit and cunning adventures. It came in winter with a full moon, snow falling all around, and sparkling blue eyes. It came with a promise of never leaving my side and always having my back. It came with a promise of forever that today, today, in front of all of our friends I am returning that promise to you. I love you, Theo, you are the blue calm in my raging storms.” 

“Fuck, Potter! How am I to follow that? I knew I should have said my vows first. Does Ditto count?” Theo said just before leaning in to kiss Harry deeply. 

The guests crowed with laughter as Kingsley attempted to get Theo to stop kissing Harry so he could pronounce them married.


	33. Three Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Three Years  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 386  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Mimifreed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimifreed/pseuds/Mimifreed)

Harry fell to the ground, the wet shore of the Black Lake soaking through the seat of his jeans as he looked out over the shimmering midnight blue of the rippling waters. The cool breeze of early spring lifted his hair and he sighed, looking down to the pamphlet in his hands.

_Remembrance Day_  
_1st May, 2001_

He stared down at the small pictures of smiling faces, gone too long. His fingers traced over the picture of a man who looked exactly like him with his arm slung around a beautiful, laughing, red-haired woman with emerald eyes. He blinked, stubbornly forcing away the prickle in his eyes and turned his face toward the sky—a brilliant kaleidoscope of blues, whites and yellow in the bright morning sun.

Harry let out a slow breath and for the first time all morning, he felt the knot in his chest loosen. It felt wrong, almost, to be able to breathe. As if the gorgeous day and the ability to exhale was making a mockery of the lives robbed from so many. He ignored the sound of the twigs snapping beneath feet as someone approached him. Harry was not ready to bring himself back to reality and the weight of real life, but the tiniest giggle brought him from his reverie.

He looked over his shoulder and forced a smile.

“Wondered where you’d run off to,” Theo said, adjusting Teddy on his hip.

Harry beckoned them to his side, “Sit with me.”

Theo smiled and shifted the squirming toddler in his arms. He sat beside Harry, lacing their fingers together. Teddy climbed from Theo’s lap to Harry’s own, an identical pamphlet clutched in his small fist. He cuddled against Harry’s chest, a shock of aqua-turning-turquoise hair tickling his nose.

“Three years,” Theo whispered.

“Three years,” Harry repeated.

He pressed a kiss into the hair of the boy pulling at his shirt. Teddy squealed with joy as the giant squid broke the surface of the water, waving the papers wildly at the creature. Once he finally settled, the tiny boy stared down at two faces that smiled and waved to him.

“Mummy! Daddy!”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat as Theo squeezed his hand.

“They were heroes, Teddy.” Theo said, giving Harry a significant glance. “And they loved you very much.”


	34. Two Sugars and a Deep Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Two Sugars and a Deep Breath  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 389  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [StoneAndRoses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoneAndRoses/pseuds/StoneAndRoses)

“Seriously, Potter, just drink the tea,” insisted Nott. Again. “It’ll help.”

Harry didn’t want any bloody tea from bloody Theo Nott’s bloody blue thermos. The quiet Slytherin sat opposite him in a dark navy cashmere sweater at their usual table in the Hogwarts Library. It still confused him sometimes as to how this had become Harry’s Saturday morning ritual. 

_”I can’t do this Hermione!”_

_“Well good thing you joined my study group. I get to say who’s in it and that’s final.”_

_“Well did you have to let him in?”_

_“He’s sitting right here, you know.”_

_“Yes, get over it Harry.”_

Glaring daggers at Nott, he shook his head. Even though there was no longer a piece of Voldy’s soul in his brain, he still got angry a lot. Especially when his best friend, and the glue of this little eighth year study group, was in the hospital wing. But the Slytherin just sat there as tranquil as the lake outside.

Theo sighed and started pouring two mugs of tea. “I didn’t cause the potions accident, so glaring at me will only do you so much good. We also have an essay due in Charms tomorrow that I know for a fact you haven’t started yet.”

The boy dropped two sugars into one and poured a dash of cream into the other. Nott levitated the sugared cup over to Harry and looked at him insistently. 

Lifting the steaming earl grey, Harry inhaled deeply before he took a quiet sip. Fluid flowed down his throat, warming first his chest, then his stomach. After two more sips the warmth had made it to his head and stillness settled over the table. 

Nott was still watching him, but didn’t say anything. A small smirk appeared on his face, but Nott didn’t say ‘I told you so’ or make a snide remark. 

By the time his mug was empty, Harry felt much better. The rational side of his brain knew Hermione would be fine and she would’ve wanted him focusing on homework anyways.

“Alright Nott,” Harry said. “What do you know about _confundus_?”

“A lot actually,” said the Slytherin, shifting into swot mode. 

After Nott’s diatribe on useful ‘innocent’ charms, Harry worked up the courage to say thank you and was rewarded with a genuine smile and a nod.


End file.
